


All that you are

by madlysanecatlady



Category: Dragon Quest Heroes (Video Games)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 18:49:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15847239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madlysanecatlady/pseuds/madlysanecatlady
Summary: Kiryl can always tell what it is that his princess needs. But sometimes, she shows that she knows what he does too. Featuring: sagely Isla.





	All that you are

The Stonecloud had more amenities than Kiryl had seen in most villages he and the Tsarevna had stayed in. There were two full kitchens, presumably used by Patty for the pub’s food, which was delicious, Kiryl had to admit, although for the life of him, he could not fathom why they would ever need _two_ of them. Yet even as he could not divine their purpose, Kiryl stole into the one closest to their sleeping quarters, hoping to find all the ingredients he needed.

He slipped into the pantry and looked around, collecting the items he would need for the task ahead. He re-emerged into the kitchen and nearly dropped everything in surprise, as Isla greeted him cheerfully from next to the stove, where she had set a kettle to boil.

‘Itching for a snack before bed, I see?’ she smiled, fetching herself a cup from the cupboard and opening the tin of tea she had in front of her.

‘I am not cooking for my own eating,’ Kiryl shook his head. He put his collection of ingredients down on the counter and looked down at his feet, embarrassed. ‘Not many are looking past Tsarevna’s prowess and resilient nature to be seeing the sadness she is feeling at being away from our world. So I am to cook a treat food for her that Borya, the tutor, would make for her on nights she was having the trouble sleeping.’

Isla smiled and fetched a mixing bowl for him. ‘Ohh, you are a sweet one, aren’t you? Is there any way I can help?’

‘I could be using help with your marvelous cooking inventions,’ he pointed to the stove where Isla’s kettle was bubbling merrily. ‘It is a very different method for the cooking than I am being used to.’

‘Hmm, I think I can handle that for you, dearie,’ Isla smiled. ‘What are we making?’

‘Borya would call it “princess bread” when he would present it to Tsarevna,’ Kiryl began mixing ingredients in the bowl Isla had fetched for him. ‘It is a simple biscuit bread, but is very delicious. Tsarevna has always a special affection for it, especially during travels. It is reminding her of our homeland when eaten’

‘Well I think you’re going to make her very happy. This is a very kind thing to do for her.’

‘I am hoping she will be pleased,’ Kiryl said quietly. ‘It is my sworn duty to see to her safety and her happiness.’

‘Yes, this sworn duty,’ Isla watched him work with a small smile, admiring the amount of care the young man constantly put into fulfilling his ‘duty’ to his princess. ‘What is your duty to her anyways? You keep talking about having this duty to protect her, but really, we both know she doesn’t need protecting. Besides, she seems to treat you as more a friend than anything most of the time. So what’s the story there, cleric boy? There’s more to you than the priestly garb, I can tell.’

‘Tsarevna and I would play together while we were being younger,’ Kiryl explained slowly, handing off the mixed dough to Isla for baking. ‘Tsar, her father, was often hoping she would be following in my examples, and learning to be patient and less inclined towards the violence. When Tsarevna was leaving the castle for adventure, I went to following her with Borya, to ensure no harm was befalling her. Tsar was entrusting us with his daughter; wherever Tsarevna was to go, we would be following.’

‘Yes, for certain, but you care for her more deeply than that, don’t you?’ Isla smiled knowingly. ‘All this effort you’re going to is proof of that. How long have you loved her? And of course, the big question, does she know?’

Kiryl knew his expression was far too alarmed to be able to convincingly deny it to the eagle-eyed inventor. And even as he got his wide eyes and gaping mouth under control, he felt his cheeks burning as they reddened. He knew he was terrible at hiding how he felt about the Tsarevna, but he had always liked to imagine he was better than _this_.

‘I take it from your imp in the torchlight expression you haven’t admitted it to anyone besides yourself,’ Isla chuckled quietly. ‘You _do_ strike me as a bit of a shy one. But,’ she smiled, reaching out to pat his hand kindly. ‘What you haven’t said with words, you seem to be shouting with actions. You follow her, no matter what she decides to do and no matter how terrified you might be; I’ve seen you on the upper decks,’ she teased. ‘Not one for heights, are you?’

‘I have spent too many countless hours in the horrible flying balloon,’ Kiryl felt himself going green at the memory. ‘I am admitting that your flying boat is less horrible.’

‘And I bet you followed your princess into that balloon no matter how much you hated it,’ Isla nodded sagely. ‘You’re quite the devoted man, Kiryl. Alena is lucky to have you by her side, even if she doesn’t need you constantly trying to throw yourself between her and the monsters she’s fighting. The girl’s a fire storm; she can more than handle herself.’

‘Yoy, that is being part of the problem,’ Kiryl grumbled. ‘I know she is having no need of me. I am just a whimpering priest who is more often getting in Tsarevna’s way. I am grateful she is still allowing me to travel with her, even with such formidable new companions.’

‘Ah, but you see? She sees something in you that you haven’t yet,’ Isla removed the princess bread from her oven and set it down to cool. ‘Any fool can see she has a fondness for you. And I’d bet any number of my darling little inventions here that it goes deeper than that, even. You don’t need to keep lamenting not having her alone with you all the time, Kiryl. She sees you before anyone else. Always remember that.’

‘You are a woman of much wisdom, Miss Isla,’ Kiryl smiled at her. ‘I am finding myself wondering where you learn such things.’

‘Call it a woman’s intuition,’ Isla winked. ‘She would have to be completely daft to not see what’s in front of her; and that girl is certainly no dummy.’

Kiryl smiled and sliced up the bread, setting a few pieces onto a plate for Alena. ‘You are having the very kind words. Please, try some, you have helped me and are deserving of the fruits of labour.’

‘Here, let me get you something to go with that bread,’ Isla went to the large container Kiryl often marvelled at, as it seemingly magically kept its contents cold. She pulled out a jar of milk and a bag of shrivelled-looking beans. ‘These are cacao. When you melt them in warm milk, they make a delightful drink. I think your princess will love it.’

Kiryl watched her curiously as she crushed up the beans, warmed the milk in a pot on the stove, and added the powdered cacao and some sugar. He frowned when the milk began to darken and turn brown. ‘Yoy, the milk is burning.’

‘Oh, don’t worry, that’s what it looks like,’ Isla smiled, giving the pot a final stir before removing it from the stove and pouring the drink into a pair of cups. ‘One for your princess, and one for you. Go ahead, try it.’

Kiryl hesitantly raised the cup to his lips and took a sip. He pulled back, surprised. ‘Yoy, it is the delicious beverage.’

Isla laughed, picking up the kettle and adding water to her cup of tea leaves. ‘I told you. Now bring that to your princess while it’s still warm. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you, and she’ll be happy with all the effort you’ve gone to just to put a smile on her face. You don’t need to tell her right this instant, dearie, but you can’t hide it forever. And I’ll be honest with you love, you aren’t very good at it.’ With those words and a teasing wink, she sauntered out of the kitchen, leaving Kiryl alone with his offerings for his princess.

Kiryl gulped. He knew Isla was correct. He was absolutely terrible at hiding how he felt about the tsarevna. If she didn’t already know how he felt about her, well, she was probably either blind or simply willfully ignorant for the sake of sparing his feelings and her the trouble of rejecting him. Isla was right about her too; Alena was certainly no dummy. Sucking in a deep, steadying breath, the kind he usually reserved for wen he was faced with great heights, he picked up the plate of princess bread and the pair of mugs and made his way back out of the kitchen and in the direction of Alena’s room.

He knocked and was surprised to hear Alena’s immediate reply. ‘Come inside, Kiryl.’

‘How were you knowing it was me?’ he asked, letting himself into the room to find Alena sitting next to the small window, looking out into the night, presumably down at the earth below. The thought of it made Kiryl’s head spin a little.

‘It is always you,’ Alena said quietly, turning her attention away from the window and the view far below and smiling at Kiryl. ‘And I could be smelling your princess bread from down the hall,’ she added with an airy chuckle. ‘You are making this for me?’

Blushing hotly, Kiryl could only nod, fighting to get his tied tongue back under his control. He coughed, mouth dry, before giving a hard swallow. ‘I was seeing you all melancholy from missing our home. I was thinking this could be reminding you of it and making you smile.’

Alena’s smile widened. ‘It is doing that and more, Kiryl. I thank you. It smells delicious.’

‘And Isla was helping me with the working of her marvellous inventions, and she is making this delicious beverage for you to drink,’ he handed over one of the mugs and placed the plate of bread on the table next to her chair. He turned back towards the door, only pausing when Alena’s voice held him back.

‘You are not wanting to eat with me?’ Alena asked, her tone very confused. ‘You are working so hard to make it, and Isla has made you the beverage too. Please, sit with me, Kiryl. The bread is reminding me of home, but so are you.’ She smiled. ‘Wherever I am travelling, I am bringing my home with me in you.’

Kiryl froze, eyeing the soft expression on her face as she beckoned for him to take the seat next to her by the window. ‘Tsarevna…’

‘Shush, Kiryl, and just sit,’ Alena rolled her eyes. ‘You are always becoming such the tongue-tied mess. You are not needing to. You are always the welcome one with me.’

Steadfastly refusing to look out the window, Kiryl sat stiffly in the chair next to his princess, sipping on the drink Isla had made for something to do while he tried to steady the whirring thoughts in his mind.

‘You are doing the overthinking again,’ Alena laughed, trying a piece of the bread and making a contented noise in the back of her throat as she tasted it. She swallowed. ‘Delicious. Thanks to you, Kiryl. You are always knowing what I am needing.’

‘I am doing my best to be of service, tsarevna,’ Kiryl said quietly, watching her closely.

‘You always are,’ Alena nodded. ‘You are always being here for me and I am happy of that.’

‘I would always do my best, but you are not ever really having need of me,’ Kiryl shook his head sadly. ‘You are strong and formidable, tsarevna. You are having no need of the whimpering coward like me.’

‘Kiryl,’ Alena’s voice was the harsh one she used when reprimanding him for trying to get between her and a good fight, or when she was simply tired of him snivelling about heights. He looked at her curiously, not understanding. ‘You are not the whimpering coward, you are bravest man I am lucky of knowing. You hate the heights, and you are here in airship. You hate the heights, and you were there in balloon. You are not liking the fighting, but you are there fighting beside me. You are always there for me, even when you are being so scared, and that is so very brave.’

Kiryl felt a lump in his throat, a lump he couldn’t seem to swallow down as he watched her smile at him again. Mouth dry and tongue barely cooperating, he tried to ask her for clarification. ‘Tsarevna, I am not understanding the things you are trying to tell me.’

‘I am telling you that you are you,’ Alena reached out and took his hand, lacing her fingers through his, smiling at the hitching of his breath. ‘And the you that you are is being perfect that way. You are not needing to be sad of what you are not, you are needing to be glad of all that you are.’

As Kiryl sat there, fingers laced with his beloved princess’, he thought he might just be able to start doing that. Isla had been right after all; Alena saw him, and it seemed she saw him in the same light he saw her. He really hoped he could live up to it, to be all that she thought him to be, and to be worthy of all that she was.

 


End file.
